Visible from afar, Lanternen serves as a meeting point and market shelter, as well as a space for informal music concerts and other performances. It stands on four stilts that are made from local sustainable oak. Built with steel reinforcement on the joints, some of the columns’ legs cleverly transform into benches where they meet the ground.

The glass panels are mounted in an overlapping pattern — like a roof – featuring a translucent printed pattern that filters the light. Lanternen was created back in 2008, when Sandnes and Stavanger were chosen as cultural capitals of Europe. The design was the winner of a competition named Norwegian Wood, launched to promote contemporary architecture and the use of sustainable timber.